Zimbabwe’s elephant population is over 84,000, nearly double its estimated capacity of 45,000
Authorities in Zimbabwe have approved the culling of 200 elephants to provide food for hungry citizens affected by the country’s severe drought. Tinashe Farawo, a spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority, explained to CNN that with almost half of the population facing acute hunger, the decision to cull elephants was made.
This move comes after Namibia also decided to cull elephants and other wildlife in response to food shortages caused by a prolonged drought. However, these actions have been met with criticism from animal rights groups and conservationists.
Zimbabwe’s elephant population currently stands at over 84,000, which is nearly double its estimated capacity of 45,000. This makes it the second-largest elephant population globally, following Botswana.
The Environment Minister, Sithembiso Nyoni, recently informed parliament that the country has more elephants than its forests can sustain, leading to resource shortages and increased human-wildlife conflicts.
Nyoni mentioned that the government is exploring strategies similar to Namibia’s, such as conducting elephant counts and involving communities, particularly women, in preserving and distributing the meat to regions lacking in protein.
In Namibia, the government has already culled 700 wild animals, including elephants, to provide meat to those facing food shortages. Approximately 150 animals have been culled, with over 125,000 pounds of meat distributed, as reported by Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism.
Zimbabwe and Namibia are among the Southern African countries experiencing severe droughts exacerbated by El Nino and climate change.
Farawo confirmed that the culling of elephants will commence once all necessary documentation is in place. The cull will target areas with high elephant populations.
Despite these plans, there has been strong opposition to the culling of elephants.
Farai Maguwu, head of the Center for Natural Resource Governance in Zimbabwe, strongly condemned the practice, emphasizing that elephants have a right to exist and future generations deserve to see them in their natural habitat.
Culling of elephants must be stopped. Some are eying an opportunity to sell ivory, illicitly – what with these private jets flying out week in, week out. With the way minerals are being looted, soon we wont have any elephant to talk about. Hands off our wildlife!
— Farai Maguwu (@FMaguwu) September 15, 2024
Keith Lindsay, a conservation biologist and natural resources consultant, also expressed concerns about using wildlife to address food shortages, fearing it could lead to unsustainable demand for bushmeat.
Farawo defended the cull as a necessary measure to reduce human-elephant conflicts, citing recent fatal elephant attacks in communities.
“The animals are causing significant problems, including fatalities. Just last week, a woman in the northern part of the country was killed by an elephant. The same happened the week before. So, culling is also a method of control,” he explained.
Local reports have documented at least 31 deaths in Zimbabwe this year due to conflicts between humans and wildlife.
